Combination cup and liquid dispenser

ABSTRACT

A combination cup and liquid dispenser with a tank body made of translucent preferably plastic material for dispensing a variety of liquids. The tank body has a service cap closing an access opening permitting easy cleaning and maintenance. A metal clip is removably mounted on the tank body forming a cup holder and dispenser in cooperation with the tank body. The tank body and clip may be mounted inside a cabinet for normal use by a metalretaining clip and may be removed easily for refilling and cleaning.

United States Patent Louis E. Bacon North Canton;

Siegfried Garbe, Canton, both of, Ohio 1,821

Jan. 9, 1970 Sept. 14, 1971 Spartan International Corporation Glendale, N.Y.

Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee COMBINATION CUP AND LIQUID DISPENSER 9 Claims, 1 1 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 221/96,

221/283, 221/303. 222/185, 222/192 Int. CL A471 1/00 Field of Search 221/96,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,300,285 4/1919 McDonald 221/96 2,551,425 5/1951 Drexel 221/282 X 2,570,283 10/1951 Stevens 222/185 X 3,142,415 7/1964 Louchheim 222/185 X 3,269,606 8/1966 Armstrong 222/185 X 3,331,533 7/1967 Krugger 22l/310X Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Attorney-Frease & Bishop ABSTRACT: A combination cup and liquid dispenser with a tank body made of translucent preferably plastic material for dispensing a variety of liquids. The tank body has a service cap closing an access opening permitting easy cleaning and maintenance. A metal clip is removably mounted on the tank body forming a cup holder and dispenser in cooperation with the tank body. The tank body and clip may be mounted inside a cabinet for normal use by a metal-retaining clip and may be removed easily for refilling and cleaning.

PATENTED su 1 419?:

SHEET 1 OF 3 I comsmnronc ur AND mourn DISPENSER BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a combination cup and liquid dispenser, :and more particularly to a dispenser .for liquids made of plastic material on which a'removable clip is mounted :for: storing and dispensing paper cups and the like, the .dispenserbeingadapted to be installed in a cabinet.

It is desirable to provide a combined cup and liquid dispenser means that-can be conveniently located in a cabinet yet easily removedforlcleaning and -refilling,.and at the same time to provide .adevice that is economical inboth cost and space usage.

2. Description of the Prior Art Present dispensers generally are designed for use with one particular type of liquid such as soap, mouthwash, etc. They .may be mounted in a-cabinet alongsidea cup dispenser requir- .ing considerable space. Alternatively, they may be mounted some distance removed from the cabinet directly on a wall -witha separate cup dispenser. The liquid dispensers generally :are made of metal which is subject to-rust and corrosion and is extremely diflicult :to clean; or they may include a glass :member or component for the liquid which is subject to breakage. Present dispenser structures also require the use of :mounting is also required, thereby increasing the cost of combination cup and liquid dispenser thatcan be readily :mounted inside a cabinet, occupying only a small amount of space, yet easily removable for cleaning, refilling and maintenance, and having a cup dispenser that can be altered easily to hold and discharge various sized cups, with the cup dispenser detachable to permit easy cleaning.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a combination cup and liquid dispenser which may be vertically installed in a cabinet ormoimte d directly on a wall or other .support means, for dispensing a variety of different liquids such as soap, mouthwash, alcoholic beverages, sugar syrups, etc. A further object is to provide a unit made of translucent material which permits the liquid level to be easily seen eliminating the need for a costly glass sight level.

Another object is to provide a liquid dispenser unit which is removable from a cabinet. for easy cleaning, refillingand maintenance and one which can quickly and conveniently be reinstalled on it hanger inside the cabinet, and also t'o'provide a unit which has a service cap for an access opening in the bottom of the tank permitting removal of the liquid valve. for cleaning and maintenance.

An important object is to provide a removable clip attached to the liquid dispenser which in conjunction with a surface of the liquid dispenser functions as a paper cup holder and dispenser. Such clips may be changed to provide for various sized cups and to permit ease of cleaning.

, These objects and advantages are attained by the combination cup and liquid dispenser which may be vertically mounted in a cabinet, the general nature of which may be stated as including the combination of a liquid-dispensing means having a tank body formed of translucent or transparent plastic material for containing the desired liquid, a liquid dispenser valve connected to the front wall of the tank body, access means for cleaning and refilling the tank body, and a preferably semicylindrical surface on the upper portion of the front wall formed with channel means along its outer edges; paper cup holder and dispensing means for the tank body including a preferably metal clip, attachment means on the clip engagea ble with said channel means, fill indicating means formed in the clip; and paper cup retention means formed on the clip. A usual recessed-type cabinet may house the cup and liquid dispenser behind a usual rectangular door at the upperportion of the cabinet, forming a lower open cabinet area exposing cups and the liquid valve. The dispenser may be held in the cabinet by a clip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferredembodiment of theinvention-illustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description'and shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

' FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combination cup and liquid dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the combination cup and liquid' 6 of FIG. 5 showing the projection formed on the semicylindri-' cal front wall;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the combination cup and liquid dispenser mounted in a cabinet;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section of the combination cup and liquid dispenser mounted in a cabinet taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG9 is a top plan view of the parts shown in FIG. 7 with portions in section taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cup dispenser clip detached from the liquid dispenser; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative arrangement of several liquid dispensers and combination cup and liquid dispensers mounted on a wall.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

r DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The combination cup and liquid dispenser, generally indicated at 1 (FIGS. 1 through 6 and 10) includes a hollow tank body, generally indicated at 2, which houses the particular liquid being dispensed. A U-shaped metal clip, generally indicated at3, is attached to the front portion of the tank body for holding paper cups 4.

Tank body 2 includesa'flatrectangular rear surface 5 which permits the unit to be mounted flush against a wall or cabinet rear panel, and a semicylindrical front surface 6 which forms one wall of the cup dispenser when clip 3 is attached. The lower section 7 of tank body 2 may be generally rectangular in shape, as shown, and has.a flatcircular area 8formed as a top wall portion of section 7 which is directly beneath the bottom opening of cup dispenser 9. A service cap 10 closes opening 1 l in bottom wall 1 1a of section 7 between sidewalls which extend downward forming .two recesses 12. A usual liquid dispensing valve 13, operable by pushbutton 14, is connected to front wall 15 of section 7 and secured thereto by nut 16.

The top wall 17 of tank body 2 has a fill opening closed by a' nels 21 into which flanges 22 formed on the leg ends of clip 3,

are inserted or engaged. M

Front panel 23 of clip 3 is formed with several slots 24 which serve as fill indicators to enable the supply of paper cups 4 to be quickly determined. A small metal tab 25 is formed inwardly at the bottom of panel 23 which, along with two projections 26 formed on the bottom ends of semicylindrical surface 6, prevent the paper cups from slipping prematurely from the cup dispenser.

Preferably dispenser 1 is mounted in a cabinet, generally indicated at 27, in a vertical position (FIGS. 7, 8 and 9). Cabinet 27 is of a usual recessed type found in public rest rooms, hotel rooms, hospitals, apartments, private homes, etc., and preferably is rectangular in shape and made of stainless steel or other suitable material. Cabinet 27 has a flat rear wall 28, a bottom shelf 29, a door 30, towel dispenser 31 and open shelves for storage (not shown). Door 30, as shown, may include a mirror, although it may be stainless steel or other suitable material.

Tank body recesses 12 rest on bottom shelf 29 of cabinet 27 and tank body 2 is retained in the cabinet by a flexible metal retainer clip 32, which is attached to the top wall section 33 of cabinet 27. The cabinet 27 has an open bottom area 34 below the lower end of door 30. With this arrangement cup dispenser 9 is located just below the lower edge of door 30 permitting cups 4 to be withdrawn without opening cabinet door 30. Likewise, the lower section 7 of tank body 2 is exposed giving access to liquid dispensing valve 13 without opening cabinet door 30.

The cup and liquid dispenser 1 may be removed from cabinet 27 by opening door 30 and pulling outward on lower section 7. Flexible retaining clip 32 permits tank body 2 to be easily extracted. Cup and liquid dispenser l is installed by merely reversing the indicated procedure. This ease and convenience in removing the dispenser without the need of tools or removal of cabinet parts permits the dispenser to be kept filled, cleaned and disinfected at all times.

The novel combination cup and liquid dispenser 1 has a number of advantageous features. The liquid dispensers hollow translucent plastic tank body 2 permits the liquid level to be quickly and accurately ascertained without the use of glass sight levelers which are costly when added as an auxiliary item and require extra cost for installation.

The dispenser can be removed easily and quickly for filling, cleaning and disinfecting which is most important for hospitals and other institutional organizations requiring sterile conditions. Likewise, it can be quickly and conveniently replaced behind retaining clip 32.

Service cap 10 located on bottom wall 11a of section 7 permits liquid dispensing valve 13 to be easily removed for cleaning, repair or replacement. This would pennit different styles and types of valves to be interchanged depending upon the particular liquid which is being dispensed. Service cap 10 also provides easy access to tank body 2 for cleaning after removal from the cabinet.

Another advantage in the new dispenser is that it eliminates duplication of material and space with the resulting economic advantages. Clip 3, preferably made of stainless steel, is easily snapped into position, and by merely changing clip arrangement, 3, 4 or 5 02. paper cups may be dispensed. The removable feature of clip 3, the ease with which it can be accomplished, and the type of material used permits cup dispenser 9 to be easily cleaned and maintained. Installing dispenser l vertically in cabinet-27 conserves space, thereby providing more utility usage and shelf space. Another advantage of this combination is that it may be mounted directly on a wall 35 (FIG. 11), or several units may be attached or molded together to form a multicompartment unit with each dispenser containing a different type liquid.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way ofexample, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the combination cup and liquid dispenser may be made and used, the characteristics of the new combination cup and liquid dispenser, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

' lfCup and liquid dispenser construction including walls forming an elongated irregularly shaped tank body having upper and lower portions, the upper portion having a vertically extending groovelike concave wall, the lower portion of the tank body having front and sidewalls forming an enlarged reservoir below the concave wall, liquid-dispenser valve means connected with the front wall and communicating with said reservoir, tank access means formed in the lower portion of the tank body adjacent said valve means, channel formations extending along the sides of said concave wall, and paper cup-dispenser clip means releasably engaged with said channel fon'nations.

2. The dispenser construction defined in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the tank body has a top wall and the lower portion of the tank body has a bottom wall, in which a fill opening is formed in said top wall, in which a vented closure cap removably closes said fill opening, and in which the access means includes a service opening formed in said bottom wall and a removable closure cap for said service opening.

3. The dispenser construction defined in claim 1 in which the cup-dispenser clip means comprises a U-shaped clip having flanges at its edges releasably engaged with the channel formations along the sides of the concave wall.

4. The dispenser construction defined in claim 3 in which the clip extends vertically along the vertically extending tank body groove forming therewith a cupholder, and in whichthe clip is formed with vertically spaced slots providing fill indicator means for cups in the cupholder.

5. The dispenser construction defined in claim 3 in which the clip extends vertically along the vertically extending tank body forming therewith a cupholder, and in which the clip has an inwardly projecting tab adjacent its lower end.

6. The dispenser construction defined in claim 5 in which spaced cup retainer projections are formed on the concave tank body wall opposite the projecting tab on the cupdispenser clip.

7. The dispenser construction defined in claim 1 in which the tank body is formed of plastic material, and in which the lower reservoir-forming portion of the tank body is formed with support members adapted to removably rest on a supporting surface.

8. Liquid dispenser construction including walls forming an elongated irregularly shaped tank body having upper and lower portions; the upper portion having a top wall and a vertically extending groovelike concave front wall; the lower portion having top, front, side and bottom walls forming an enlarged reservoir with the reservoir top wall extending outwardly below the concave wall; liquid dispenser valve means connected with the reservoir front wall and communicating with the reservoir; a fill opening formed in the top wall of the tank body upper portion; vented closure means for the fill opening; a service opening formed in the reservoir bottom wall; a removable closure cap for said service opening; and support members formed in and projecting downward from the reservoir bottom wall on either side of the service opening and closure cap.

9. The dispenser construction defined in claim 8 in which the tank body is formed of plastic material of the class consisting of transparent and translucent plastic material, whereby the level of liquid contained in the tank body may be viewed through the tank body walls exteriorly thereof. 

1. Cup and liquid dispenser construction including walls forming an elongated irregularly shaped tank body having upper and lower portions, the upper portion having a vertically extending groovelike concave wall, the lower portion of the tank body having front and sidewalls forming an enlarged reservoir below the concave wall, liquid-dispenser valve means connected with the front wall and communicating with said reservoir, tank access means formed in the lower portion of the tank body adjacent said valve means, channel formations extending along the sides of said concave wall, and paper cup-dispenser clip means releasably engaged with said channel formations.
 2. The dispenser construction defined in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the tank body has a top wall and the lower portion of the tank body has a bottom wall, in which a fill opening is formed in said top wall, in which a vented closure cap removably closes said fill opening, and in which the access means includes a service opening formed in said bottom wall and a removable closure cap for said service opening.
 3. The dispenser construction defined in claim 1 in which the cup-dispenser clip means comprises a U-shaped clip having flanges at its edges releasably engaged with the channel formations along the sides of the concave wall.
 4. The dispenser construction defined in claim 3 in which the clip extends vertically along the vertically extending tank body groove forming therewith a cupholder, and in which the clip is formed with vertically spaced slots providing fill indicator means for cups in the cupholder.
 5. The dispenser construction defined in claim 3 in which the clip extends vertically along the vertically extending tank body forming therewith a cupholder, and in which the clip has an inwardly projecting tab adjacent its lower end.
 6. The dispenser construction defined in claim 5 in which spaced cup retainer projections are formed on the concave tank body wall opposite the projecting tab on the cup-dispenser clip.
 7. The dispenser construction defined in claim 1 in which the tank body is formed of plastic material, and in which the lower reservoir-forming portion of the tank body is formed with support members adapted to removably rest on a supporting surface.
 8. Liquid dispenser construction including walls forming an elongated irregularly shaped tank body having upper and lower portions; the upper portion having A top wall and a vertically extending groovelike concave front wall; the lower portion having top, front, side and bottom walls forming an enlarged reservoir with the reservoir top wall extending outwardly below the concave wall; liquid dispenser valve means connected with the reservoir front wall and communicating with the reservoir; a fill opening formed in the top wall of the tank body upper portion; vented closure means for the fill opening; a service opening formed in the reservoir bottom wall; a removable closure cap for said service opening; and support members formed in and projecting downward from the reservoir bottom wall on either side of the service opening and closure cap.
 9. The dispenser construction defined in claim 8 in which the tank body is formed of plastic material of the class consisting of transparent and translucent plastic material, whereby the level of liquid contained in the tank body may be viewed through the tank body walls exteriorly thereof. 